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Tips, Tricks and Trends

January 08, 2013

(There's still time to enter our random drawing for one of each new Mini Deck. See yesterday's post for details.)

Make and Takes collated √Crafter's Home Presentation finessed √Eyebrows waxed √New shoes... well three out of four isn't bad right?!?!

I just couldn't find anything that I liked. It's all good though, except that my current shoes are a bit too high to be comfy and being 5' 10" in bare feet, posing for photos with most of you is best done in flats. Oh well, I just hope you'll understand if the photo of us shows your smiling face next to one of my "girls" while my head is cropped out of the frame.

On another note, as I was creating projects for the CHA booth, I realized just how far I've come since we started Cosmo Cricket six and a half years ago. I remember my very first layout. It was quite rumply because I had used Elmer's glue to stick things down. I didn't even know a tape runner existed!

Looking at my current work, I am amazed at how much I have learned. It occured to me that there are beginners out there, that trends change and that crafters come up with new tricks all the time. So, I hope these little graphics illustrating some of the tricks I've learned over the years help the beginners and spark the seasoned paper crafter's creativity too.

Other tips for this layout:

I used two Gluber strips, one for the twisted part and also one for the other half that contains the few pleats. They are great for holding down ribbon!

Leaving a white border on your photos will help them stand out against patterned backgrounds.

I made this page for a friend and so the journaling is left blank. I have been doing this a lot lately and I like that they can add their memories in their own handwriting.

You can finish your seams by pulling the threads to the backside of your project and taping them down, or like in this layout, just cut them a little long and add a dot of clear drying glue to the starting and stopping points.

January 06, 2013

I just love working with this happy line... even using cloudy sky photos. These pics were taken by my good friend, Will Fisher of William Fisher Photography and that is his darling daughter.Will doesn't scrapbook and so I have left a little journal spot blank for him to fill in the details.

Here's how you can get this look:One last tip: combine lines. I just realized that I used some Sweet Disposition on this layout. In fact, we made the two lines to coordinate together.

December 12, 2012

It's 12 | 12 | 12 and my world didn't end, so let's celebrate with some tips for using glitter! 'Tis the season for sparkle afterall.

I love glitter, but I hate how messy it can be. So follow my glitter tricks, and I promise a much less messy experience!

First, ditch the wet glue! I hate using wet glue with glitter. It is hard to get level, can make your glitter lumpy and you have to wait for it to dry. Besides, I always end up getting glitter into the glue bottle ruining it for future projects. Instead, opt for dry adhesive options like tapes, stickers and Glubers.

I love backing stickers, especially chipboard ones, with glitter. You can then glue down the printed side, or use both sides by making it into a charm or tag like I did with our Jolly Days chipboard Christmas tree.If you don't have a sticker in the shape you like, recycle a cereal box by drawing your shape onto it. Before you cut it out, coat the whole area with adhesive tape. I am using an AT gun, but any tape runner with solid adhesive will work. After it's coated, cut it out and glitter it up.A few tips on how to "glitter it up." First, work directly over a garbage can. I am using Vintage Sparkle Glitter, that came with a little mini spoon (think doll house sized) for scooping it out of the bottle. I love it! If you don't have this, I really recommend dumping the entire bottle of glitter into a plastic container with a wide opening. That way you can just drop your item into the glitter and lift out with tweezers.

After you've got glitter all over your piece, tap it lightly over the garbage can. Then use another of my favorite tricks... a paintbrush. A soft paintbrush will sweep off all the extra glitter. Trust me, if you blow it off, it will be everywhere. If you only tap it off, the extras that don't fall, and there will be extras, will eventually end up all over your home. If you brush it off, you will get every loose piece.

My last trick is to just use Gluber dots or strips. I really love this because it's so easy and gives perfect results. You just stick them where you want and coat with glitter using the above tips. I hope this helps you all add a little sparkle to your holidays. If you end up getting some glitz on yourself, no worries. It just means you're awesome!

December 10, 2012

I love packages wrapped in Kraft paper. For my kids, I must choose something bright and whimsical, but for my friends this the look! There's something so beautiful about the simple, drab brown color when it is dressed up for the holidays.

Here are 8 different techniques to use when you wrap up your own packages.

1 Use our new Gluber Strips to make ruffles from tissue paper. I used an old sewing pattern, which I think is lovely with the kraft paper. I wrapped over the center of the ruffle with heavy twine. In fact it was too thick to thread through my buttons.....2 Split the ends of the twin, thread one half through each of the button holes and then knot. It made fun little bobble ends. (I used our Cheer Wooden Buttons.)

3 Stamping. I used dark brown ink paired with our Jolly Days stamps for with all my packages, but white, dark red, gold and dark green ink are all beautiful on kraft. As is obvious in the above photo, I worry little about making a perfect impression. I like stamping to look hand-done.

I think you could make lovely packages with just stamping alone, but I usually combine it with other techniques like number

4 Thread your buttons on the string you're tying your package with (with bigger packages, you can use buttons to make a garland or bunting effect).

To add a little holiday bling, try

5 Coating Glubers with glitter. The Gluber strips make lovely glittered ribbons to hang button ornaments, while the circles are fun for polka dots or snowman building. We thought placing the twine so that it could double as the snowman's scarf was clever!

6Ribbon slides are one of my favorite ways to wrap things up and make our list at technique. You can thread them with fabric, ribbon or even tissue paper.

7 Coil your twine onto a Gluber. I went from the outside in, but I think one could go either way depending on your outie to innie preference. A simple Cheer Canvas brad in the center completes the look. (And yes, that is my FAVORITE stamp!)

We can't do a post using this many Glubers and not have some flowers made with them, can we. I think not!

8 Ruffle some tissue paper, I'm using sewing pattern paper again, from the outside in to make a pretty gift topper for technique number. Place your Cheer Canvas brad through the center and stick the whole thing to your gift.

9 (I know I said eight, this is a Holiday surprise!) combine our twine Gluber technique with our glittered Gluber tecnhique. The floating polka dots look like the kraft was torn and rolled back to reveal sparkle goodness underneath. To get the effect, just place your Glubers as desired, press twine around the edge and then fill the inside with glitter. For the glittery garland, cut some glubers in half and follow the same steps.

I think I could add even one more tip to round it out.

10 is especially if you have little elves helping you with your wrapping. Consider a couple valium, maybe a strong drink or two and some holiday music. That way when one child knocks over the glitter and another child sits on a gluber, you won't mind so much. It will all just be sweet holiday memories!

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If you loved this post as much as the rest of Pinterest gift wrappers seem too, share it with your friends. It's like a gift you don't even have to wrap in order to give!!

August 24, 2012

If you find that you have run out of tins for upcycling, you can get empty paint cans at your local home supply store for 3-4 dollars. They are super fun to make into gift containers.

I really love ideas that incorporate the lid of the paint can. Personally, I find the lids as useful as the cans themselves. This is the lid that I use as a paint pallet for small projects. It sits on my desk next to the tin that has all my brushes in it.So, with this idea in mind, I took four sheets of Tiny Text stickers and using about half of each of the sheets, I covered a paint can.The sentiments on these stickers are perfect, especially if you fill the tin with art supplies. I picked out some of my favorite colors of craft paint.Now you have something to hold art supplies, and a small pallet that you can use for painting. (PS: Acrylic paint simply peels off the tin when it dries.)

But, you don't just have to use paint cans for painting themes. Here's one I did for a friend that is just getting introduced to tea.

There are some really great flavors of tea out there and the Steeping Room in Austin has hundreds of them. I picked a bag of Beautiful Coconut Green Tea and a steeping spoon.

Then, using Art Angel papers and embellishments, I decorated the tin and the lid. This lid works as a coaster. After I decorated it, I sprinkled UTEE over the top and melted it so that the paper and stickers are sealed. Now, every time she sips her tea, she'll have a sweet message and reminder of our friendship!(Note to all crafters that like to rush things.... if you get UTEE too hot, it will bubble and turn yellowish. This is great if you want the antique look of yellowing, but if you don't then melt the UTEE slowly at a low heat!)